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| Disclaimer: Events seen through the eyes of a black man. |
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| January |
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| Well this year started where it should have last year: Balmain!� The last day of 2003 had me starting off from home to Blacktown with Ben the Ethnic Man and Vanessa, down to Flemington for Angie + crew at Markets Hotel.� After that, we all caught a train into town (and I started a fight with a 14yr old girl, calling her a bad mother *LOL*) and then it was down to Balmain. |
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| Got more booze, went down to the shores with Doolan and entered into 2004!� Now I had to admit the fireworks weren't really that special, however there were more fireworks to be had as I headed down to the home of "Boozin in Balmain";, Craig's place! |
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| Later on I was due at Field Day and even though Jess had promised me "a lack of a New Years Hangove" in her Xmas card, I was feeling it.� Kaskade and Mark Farina were the main highlights of Field Day and Meem the surprise.� Apart from that, I really never got into it.� I wouldn't have minded getting into the beer wench at the New Years Test at the cricket!� Whoa!� Was she hot or what?!! |
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| I worked my arse off because the Tour of Booty was coming up.� I'd thought I was going to be behind the eight ball because there were a few weekends that I needed to party (ie Ally's birthday party) but that got canned.� |
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| With a Big Day Out done (Basement Jaxx were awesome, 1200 Techniques 2nd best, Peaches and Gerling the third best, the surprise pick had to be Open Thought, Def Jux and The Strokes), the only thing left on my mind was The Tour of Booty.� Originally to begin in Canberra, we had to add Queensland (how could we not!) in.� The last days of January were spent north with the most adorablest of people.� We (Robbie even got in!) love it when we're up there and hopefully they love us too! |
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February |
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| With Queensland done, the rest of the country was in for the Tour of Booty.� Seriously, going on tour was the best thing I've done and I couldn't believe I was actually doing it half the time.� It took me a total of 23 days (and 10,500KM) to go Coast to Coast.� Sydney to Brisbane and back, before doing the East to West voyage of this big brown land.� Meeting a stack of new people, seeing old friends as well as exploring places never seen before: ajourney of self discovery at times but it was a celebration for every kilometre of the way. |
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| When I was in Canberra, my computer at home failed me.� It was meltdown!� I hoped that the pictures from the Queensland section of the trip had survived.... |
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| Going on tour went well but so went the finances.� I had to work my arse off!� There were no parties that I could really go to, besides, Zihni canned his 2st (thanks for stuffing up my Tour of Booty schedule, you ass!) |
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| Also going on tour was Libby L., along with Dan who set off for the USA and Canada.� Heading south to north, they were going to chase an endless summer. |
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March |
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| Uni for the last semester, ever!� I loaded up an extra subject on top of the two required so that if there were any self-imposed fuckups, I'd be saved.� With uni, we started preliminary work on "Scattered", about a feminine character who goes through drugs and men and rejects them all.� A hard hitting story: just not what I envisaged.� Soon enough words went onto paper and a script was born... |
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| Scott and Alicia were back in Sydney to chill out and check out our Mardi Gras!� They stayed at my place for a week.� Which probably got very tiring for them as they found out how far I lived out of the city and the expenses tied them down.� It was also compounded by all the birthday parties around the time-Angie's 19th and Grant's 21st!� It also marked the release of the long awaited Tour of Booty double cd, each with individually designed cases! |
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| By the end of the month, I still had a humonguous phone bill, but it was mainly from February.� Still though, I managed to go rock climbing for the first time in ages, especially when Chris (Dr Jones)' GF wanted to climb in a skirt.� Hilarious. |
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| April |
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| I was STILL paying back my older sister who was kind enough to lend me some money after I ran out in Kerang *hahaha* |
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| More 'backwash' from the Tour of Booty this month: Jess was in Sydney for a family wedding and she took the time out to stalk Zihni at his work, seeing that they hadn't seen each other for two years or so.� And then the following week, we had Viv in town!� Also here for a family wedding, we made sure she got to see the Easter Show, as well as see her off with a good ol' trashing @ The Pavilion Hotel. |
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| Colleen had moved out of home and into a flat with Luka and Amie and they had a housewarming!� It was racous!� And it was very good.� The theme: "When Hell Freezes Over";...Colleen has been longing to have a decent gathering for ages and this was it! |
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I was getting into HJ's management now, and the work rate was stepping up.� But they would not make me work on the Anzac Day weekend...Radiohead on Friday night (just short of Amazing), record hunting on Saturday, Anzac Day Anarchy on Sunday and...recovery on Monday.� I had to since I bloody overdid it on Sunday!� But every time we've been at Shelly Beach, it's always good times to be had, no exception this time! |
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| May |
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| The "Scattered" filming was probably one of the more interesting meets in the year of the Gang?� We only needed extras for a party scene and then all you lovely people ended up turning it into our wrap party! |
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| Soon enough we were locked down in the editing suite arranging the footage.� There were some scenes that needed to be reshot but what I couldn't wait for was to actually start the whole editing process!� This is what i specialised in.� |
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| Grant was beginning to find his niche again in throwing parties, he decided just to have a piss up.� When I eventualy got there at some random hour of the morning, we drank and drank..and drank.� We woke up to find out that Kristy had given birth to Keelie Georgia Ross (thanks Jase for passing on that news to us!). |
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| The next weekend would be a big one.� Libity's birthday at Beach Road Hotel on Friday night, the Bulldogs lost to the Panthers on Sunday afternoon and then this management bullshit at 9am on Monday morning!� And it was Pawla's 21st on the monday night, same night yet again as Yemima...sleep?� what is that! |
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| June |
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| Tillie had a party night @ Panthers that would have been nice to go to!� But the silly Hungry Jacks management biz kept me busy Monday to Friday! |
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| We also started the month off with a H*O*B*O party: no sleep at all!� So much for the promised sleep...it was a weird party because the challenge set to us was, "Songs without Swearing": there went half my box!� And if you thought I'd be sleeping in the next weekend, think again because Corin's Birthday Party was insane!� Held on the Queens Bday long weekend, there were double demerit points for all the drivers.� So alas, some of us couldn't drink, but goddamn we had so much fun anyway!� We were all in costume too, with Zihni's little brother Doan coming first (as a mini Batman)... |
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| And if you thought we'd get any sleep the next weekend: thing again, because there was ANOTHER H*O*B*O party at the grandness of Star City!� The H*O*B*O crew kept the beats going all night long until the "Party Hotline" and "Ja Booty" kept the drinks going all night long!�� There were still sore heads on the monday morning! |
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| Many sore heads were in oder as the funky faerie_mistress (Jesska) paid us ANOTHER visit to Sydney for her birthday!� Taking her to the famed Pavilion Hotel, we disgraced ourselves honourably, getting so messy that the next day, we should have been taken to the back of an open field and shot!� That is how sore our heads were! |
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| I hope that Jesska didn't have to pay for any of her drinks because for a while she'd been talking about it and now it was for certain (well the tickets had been booked since Easter)...she was off to Scotland in September to represent Aussie Booty.� In all retrospect, that probably gave us even more incentive to drink! |
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| July |
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| Started off the month where June ended with some party action with the Party Hotline, hardly recovering the next day as Scott and Alicia were here for some Highland Dancing action! |
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| My hair was undergoing some super renovations as I went from afro to cornrow to straight and long!� I was using all this girl hair care product, but it was nearly two years since I last shaved it off.� It was also the FIRST MOVIE NIGHT that I ever had at my place, showing off some recently completed movies from uni! "Kaput"; was my personal favourite but all the other girls loved "Scattered".� By the time "Kevin and Perry go Large" came on, everyone was worn out, and the usually comical (and sick) jokes of this particular film weren't funny anymore, since we were too busy covering our own sick experiences.� Hopefully no flash BACKS of this one! |
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| Went up to the Entrance on a day off and started to really think about what I said at the end of last year...I had just finished uni but I was still working in a shitty job.� I had to make the move soon enough into something I could be happy in.� With that in mind, I put pen to paper and started reworking my CV.� I also come to a realisation that I'd probably have to cut my hair...Still though, I kept my hair long for functions like when Cat and Mez from ACF came to visit, Brooke Chookers dropping into Sydney for the first time as well as Shannyn's 21st (can you believe it!), hilarious dancefloor action!� |
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| It was a test for some upcoming party events for me, because unlike previous parties where I've been restricted (djing) to genres, Shannyn's party was an all ages party for all people.� I had requests for anything and everything but the party favs were Forrest Gump and an Aussie Classic Hits Double CD.� It was a damn good night. |
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| August |
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| More party action meant that we actually started the month out: on the town with the Party Hotline (Angie).� She'd been long a Panthers girl on a Saturday night and now she had to be shown where the real booty was at.� |
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| Angie, Daniel and I backed up the week after as Brooke Chookers was back to do Sydney properly on her East Coast tour.� We decided a night at the casino would be appropriate.� By the end of the night we were worse for wear and at Kings Cross.� I think the smoke from the Aussie Rules pub on Darlinghurst Road gave us lung cancer. |
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| Cheered on the Doggies the next day as they beat the Cowboys at the Showgrounds then did some more cheering when Colleen and Co. held a "Friday 13th" party.� I went in a soccer jersey with "13" on it, and left promptly at midnight.... ;) |
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| Speaking of tours, Baz (the sneaky little deviant!) snuck into my little sister's luggage as they hit up Surfers Paradise!� But from what I hear, he has settled down quite a bit... |
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| Special events were coming thick and fast: my parents birthdays, Justin David Sommers' naming ceremony (I went in a suit: totally meaning business) and Sej's Birthday Party night.� In the day, I had this dodgy arse work meeting which probably spelt the beginning of the end.� The second circus act of that night was with Sejal at the Cirque Du Soleil-that was grand!� It was Sej's idea as it was her birthday...and soon after we were in the city, partying on.� Tried to negotiate entry to a few places (with Angie 'gooooooooooooone') but by the time we got back to the Pavilion, Sej & Aaron were gone.� It was left to Craig and I to soldier on.� Maybe it was the earlier work debacle, maybe it was the good night just gone ahead, maybe it was because I was so excited that Sej and I hadn't crossed paths for so long, but it was a massive party night. |
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| September |
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| Spring was in the air and if there was one month where "everything changed"-it was this month.� I decided with work, enough was enough.� With HJ's=finished.� The reason why was because I decided a shit job was enough and I picked up a new job at Harvey Norman. |
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| It wasn't spring at all in the Northern Hemisphere as Jesska hit em up on her grand tour of Scotland!� She made us all drool as she finally got to meet Claire...*jealous grin*� Not a single disagreement had with her, and there would be no one disagreeing about being in the company of these two fine females!� And for my birthday, I had the fine company of Brooke Chookers, who was in town for a conference but decided to take me out to dinner.� And goddamn, you would have not wanted to be her when she checked her luggage in *WEG*. |
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| September 11 was Craig's 21st and the Bulldogs just had to lose to the Cowboys!� So everyone in Panthers had to be cheering for the Cowboys = I had to leave!� Craig decided the city was also the best place to go so with the BHS crew, but by the time we got back into the city the travel had taken a lot of energy out of everyone.� Except for me, my batteries were recharged and once again, Craig and I were left to soldier on... |
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| With work over and uni graduated out of, excuse for a party?� Not just any party, but WetPants' first night time party!� 9pm-3am...ooh yeah.� The turn out was ABYSMAL considering how many people said they were coming (from work and uni) but those that did come were in for some party tunes all night long.� There was not a person in attendance that was either not drinking, not dancing.� There were a lot of us that were doing both.� But what an awesome party it was... |
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| The week after, Lesley's 21st was a corker.� I got there late because I was entertaining the lovely Gina* and Josie who had dropped in on us in Sydney for one night only.� Josie had won "Employer of the Year"; and wanted to come down here to pay us a visit...us?� No robbie!� Not even at Lesley's 21st!� But most of the gang from the week previous were there, including Simon...who seemed to pay special attention to Ally........................................ay! |
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| October |
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| Usually I'd be hitting top gear with Uni right about now: but hey, no uni...I also should have been in Adelaide (via Melbourne) but due to the ACF national meeting being cancelled, there was no trip to Adelaide.� Livid should have also been happening around this time of the year, oh well... |
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| Angie (and Pawla!) were VERY LIVID after the NRL Grand Final (won by the grand champion Bulldogs...thanks a lot Angie for the tickets!) and had to wear a Bulldogs jersey for a week (I still haven't got it back to this day, mind you!� She must enjoy wearing it!� Go the Doggies!!) |
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| With that in mind, all it was this month was just work.� The phone hadn't rang at all (thanks to my "friends") so I wondered what was going on. |
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| There were late nights talking to Jess. |
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| There were thoughts in my mind that I couldn't go away for a long time, not even in February 2005. |
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| There was money set aside for travel this month. |
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| I did it.� Went to visit my favourite girls in Queensland for the weekend.� Cleared my head of a few things but my goodness.� It was great to be back there.� I absolutely love the place. |
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| November |
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| The trip away meant that I was able to sit down and sort out what needed to be done now and what was not really worth holding onto.� I thought about who i should keep in touch with and the other people who were just "contacts".� The percieved 'lost touch' syndrome is something that is mutual.� I do admit I have had one of the most busiest schedules in history, but I did try to keep in touch with everyone I knew. |
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| Jammin up the coast was Shannon (DjReal) and his club night, "Smooth Grooves".� Great tunes, small bar but most people only stopped in for 30 mins max before moving on.� Or just used the toilets.� Bit of a shame (note: the night has since ceased). |
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It seemed like company was the best thing for me, now.� Even now, the more meaningful relationships meant more than they ever had before.� And a man who I had never met before probably showed me that: it was Saffie from the ACF chatroom.� This man had this aura about him that has everyone talking about him.� There's only 1 out of every 1000 people that you can meet for the first time and just say, "wow...this person is totally awesome".� That's Saffie. |
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| The weekend after was the first night out I had in a while.� The Harvey Norman crew decided to get out and get absolutely smashed with little regard for the fact that we all had to work the next day!� We all had a good time dancing around at Shelbourne, where the crowd was a little fancy, even if the music was a bit sucky.� Even a few of the girls from work came down to have a boogie! Wowee!!! |
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| December |
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| Two of Aussie Chat Friends' young guns combined for a day at the zoo (where they probably belonged): that being Bryan (Chicky Nuggies) and I, who went and had a look at Taronga Zoo as he was on tour in Sydney doing the rounds.� |
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| Because I had to work on Sundays, I couldn't really hit up saturday nights for a party as I could have done last year.� But alas, it was time to make use of my Panthers membership so I saw Party Angie there with her nu-skool crew of booty disciples ready to tear up the party every saturday night!� And this made for some very tired Sundays...since the business was picking up!� |
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| Xmas trading made for some very strange hours, since I had to work a few of my days off.� Until midnight.� And on Xmas eve, I worked from midnight-9am.� You can thank Westfields for that!! |
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Futurethoughts |
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It looks like this summer is going to be a sizzler...with Ally's party hitting up our favourite beach, Shelly Beach! Thanks to full time work, I don't have any big tour plans to announce yet, but there should be smaller scale weekends away to Perth and Queensland on the cards.
If there was a month where everything changed, it was September of this year. That was when I said at the end of last yr, "this yr will be big careerwise". But it has set up a lot of interesting possiblities for 2005. The major trip I am planning involves overseas countries...looking to make plans definite after the tax month!
The contacts book has shrunken, but only because I've preferred more meaningful people than just a whole bunch of contacts. In some instances I've had to start again..but I can't wait to start 2005. Enjoy all.....
-Johnny* |
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